Do you want a secret hideaway in the comfort of your living room? Build a blanket fort! These are easy to build and can provide countless hours of fun for children and adults. You can make your fort with everyday household items like blankets, sheets, chairs, and rubber bands. Start by building a fort frame with chairs and other pieces of furniture. Then, close off your fort to the outside world by draping blankets over the frames and securing them. Throw in a few pillows and blankets for added coziness, you’re ready for an afternoon of adventure.

Steps

Part 1

Gathering Materials

1

Find a location with enough space. Your blanket fort will need to have enough room for you to crawl and play in, so make sure that the room where you’re creating your fort has enough space. The living room, dining room, or bedroom are all good options.[1]

The room does not need to be empty! The furniture in the room can become “walls” of the fort.

2

Locate the materials to build the frame. Chairs are the best option because their backs can make a cool, high fort ceiling. You can also use furniture like tables, bed frames, and couches. Experiment with different pieces of furniture until you get it just right.[2]

Use furniture of different heights to create high and low places in the fort, which makes it extra fun to crawl around inside.

3

Collect several blankets and pillows. You will need several blankets to drape over the frame of the fort. Sheets make great draperies for the fort because they are big, lightweight, and won’t fall down easily. Make your fort comfy and cozy with blankets and pillows.[3]

Part 2

Building the Structure

1

Determine the placement of the walls. Place the furniture that you have collected around the room to construct the framework of the fort. Be creative! You can make hallways, doors, and even secret passageways.[4]

2

Drape blankets over the frames. Once the framework is in place, begin draping the blankets over the frames. This will enclose your fort, giving it a top-secret, secluded feel. Try using different types of blankets for different areas of the fort.[5] For example, drape sheets over part of the framework to allow light and air into the fort.

If you want to create some extra dark rooms, add heavy comforters to parts of the frame. Whether you’re making a dungeon, a dragon’s lair, or simply a dark hideaway, it’ll feel secluded and mysterious!

3

Secure the blankets. You'll want your fort to be sturdy. After all, you don't want the walls to come down in the middle of a good book or a top-secret mission. Use clothespins or rubber bands to help secure the blankets that are creating the walls and roof of the fort. You can also prop large pillows or couch cushions against the fort’s framework to secure the blankets.[6]

Part 3

Making the Space Comfortable

1

Create a floor with blankets. For added coziness, lay blankets down on the floor. Does your fort have a bedroom? A sleeping bag makes a great fort bed![7]

2

Add pillows for comfort. Carefully place pillows within the fort to create couches, chairs, and beds. Since you will be resting on the floor, multiple pillows will provide comfort to the fort’s guests.[8]

3

Add lights to the fort. If you want to read inside your fort or play board games with siblings or friends, add lights. Christmas lights look great, and they come in all sorts of colors. A flashlight works, too! Use it to light up your face while telling a spooky story.[9]

4

Add a fan to keep the space cool. Forts can get pretty hot, especially after a busy day of adventuring. Place a fan in an opening to the fort to help circulate air throughout the fort. Be careful to not hang any blankets behind the fan.[10]

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Community Q&A

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What should you use if you don't have clothes pins?

wikiHow Contributor

You could use binder clips, hair clasps (such as butterfly clips) or clamps from your parent's hardware tools (if they let you). You could also tuck the blankets into the sides of couches, under chair legs, etc.

It depends on what kind of materials you use and your experience in building such things. It can take anywhere from around 20 minutes to nearly an hour, depending on the size, complexity, the builder's skill, and how many times you knock it over.

Could you add how to sneak the snack in? In my family, it's hard to sneak snacks out of the kitchen.

wikiHow Contributor

Take a bag or a beanie into the kitchen. Drop the snack into the bag or beanie when nobody is around, then carry the snack back to the fort or your room. Any item that it seems normal to be carrying around can be used for this. Be sure to clean up all evidence of the snack after you've enjoyed it, to prevent anyone finding it or getting annoyed about crumbs, etc.

A blanket or a sheet is usual. A quilt or padded duvet can be a good, soft choice. If you want it to be really cozy, a pile of blankets and a quilt would be soft and comfortable. If it's really hot, just use a sheet or some cotton cloth. For a more exotic look, throw some large head scarves or pashminas across the ground.

Yes! You can use boxes, dressers (if they are short and easily movable), small tables, couches, countertops, stepladders, stools, large suitcases standing upright, cushions, or other surfaces sturdy enough to support the blankets/sheets. Use your imagination! The most fun part of creating a blanket fort is inventing your own unique arrangement.

Yes, but you might knock down your fort if too many people are moving in it. Be careful. Also, you might think the fort is a bit crowded, and you will find yourself close to other people, so be sure they are people to whom you are comfortable being close.